The Marquis

'Memento mori'

overview

The MARQUIS borrows from over 25 years of concert recording experience with serious headphone monitoring to produce an amplifier with unparalleled transparency and effortless realism. Like all Metaxas & Sins amplifiers, the CNC-machined “head block” can be meticulously finished in a choice of 10 aluminium colours, or automotive painted finishes.

As well as a dedicated headphone amplifier and headphone stand, the MARQUIS also can be used as a minimalist preamplifier with a choice of 2 line-level inputs [RCA connectors] and a set of RCA outputs to connect to a power amplifier to drive a pair of speakers.

The solid CNC-machined base encloses the power supply to keep all stray RFI and noise from the delicate low-level signal stages.

Specification

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: DC - 5.0MHz (-3dB)VOLTAGE OUTPUT: 15VRMS per channel into 50 Ohms with no more than 0.05% T.H.D.SLEW RATE: Greater than 1000V/us small and large signalT.H.D.: Less than 0.05% 20Hz-20KHzI.M.D.(S.M.P.T.E.): Less than 0.05%SIGNAL/NOISE: -117DBV unweighted input shortedSENSITIVITY: 26dBINPUT IMPEDANCE: 100kOhms

The heart

The heart of the MARQUIS is an easily accessible amplifier module on a 9 pin DIN connectors which resides inside an over 15mm thick, CNC-machined cranium.

By isolating the heart of the amplifier in this way, we can very easily improve and refine the sound quality as we experiment with passive components - newer , faster or lower noise transistors, resistors, capacitors, printed circuit board dielectrics using purer copper [or silver] tracks.

This makes your MARQUIS future-proof.

the making of a marquis

This video traces the creative and manufacturing process of the Marquis.

what the critics say...

The Marquis Preamp imposes far less of itself on the signal, handling its chores with near invisibility

— Ken Kessler, HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW, England

The Marquis constitutes in our opinion, pure gold and is already the reference point in this price category and will not be superseded in a hurry

— Jean Hiraga/Patrick Vercher LA NOUVELLE REVUE DU SON, France

The Marquis is as fast as the devil, creates a beautiful aura without any indication of overshoot, has glow and spirit, temperament and cunning. It has fire. In comparison to the Marquis, most so called super-preamps sound waste, flabby, boring.